Tag Archives: school of humanities and social sciences

Margaret Dunlap, a sophomore Psychology major, had a remarkable and enlightening summer experience as a medical volunteer at a Sri Lankan hospital.

We talked with her to find out more about what it’s like to live and work in a Third World country and what she learned during her time there.

What was your internship position (title)?

Medical volunteer

What were your responsibilities?

I had a mix of observation and helping. My duties included taking blood sugars, blood pressure, pulse, changing dressings, assisting in surgery, and doing physical exams.

How did you obtain this position?

It really just required filling out the application for Projects Abroad. Anyone can do the internship, but skill level and enthusiasm determines how much you are actually doing and you’re doing patient care or just watching.

I originally planned to be in India, but problems with the visa office resulted in my advisers rerouting me to Sri Lanka, a tropical island off the coast of India. I knew I wanted to be in an underprivileged area with a vastly different culture, preferably in Asia. I had not been to any part of Asia before, so culture-wise, it was a huge shock.

Why do you think they chose you? Why did you stand out?

One reason I stood out was my enthusiasm to learn. I came in as one of the youngest students and I openly admitted to having little real medical training. The doctors and advisors appreciated my humble attitude and willingness to do whatever needed to be done so I could learn.

As a college sophomore, you were doing an internship in a foreign country. Were you ever surprised to find yourself there?

I definitely was in awe that I was able to have an experience like that. If it wasn’t for my parents, I never would have been able to go. There also were several times when I remember thinking “I’m just a kid, what am I doing practicing medicine in a foreign country? When did I become responsible enough or mature enough to do this?”

How do these types of experiences enhance (or bring to life) the lessons you’re learning at Behrend?

At Behrend, I learned how to be comfortable around people much different from myself. My freshman year, I lived in Perry Hall, which, at the time, housed primarily international students. I grew up in a small town with very little cultural diversity, and I had never lived in close proximity to people with such vastly different backgrounds. I became close friends with many international students, though it did take me some time to get used to being surrounded by different cultures. This experience certainly prepared me for living in Sri Lanka, where everyone’s culture was different from my own. Even the other students staying with the same host family had different backgrounds. I not only got a taste of Sri Lanka but also Japan, Ireland, England, Canada, Germany, and Australia.

Margaret Dunlop, left, and a friend ride an Asian elephant while in Sri Lanka this summer

What was it like in Sri Lanka? Did you enjoy living there?

Sri Lanka is a Third World country in Asia. I lived in Colombo, the capital city, which is on the west coast. It was insanely hot, humid, dirty, smelly, and full of insects. But, it was also wonderfully exciting and exotic. All of the things that could have been taken as negatives were actually positives if you looked at them properly. There was no air conditioning, no hot water for bathing, no silverware (you ate your rice with your hands), and no toilet paper. The only Caucasians for miles were the other eleven students living in my house, and only seven of them spoke English as their first language. Living in Sri Lanka certainly was an adjustment. Literally everything is different there, but the differences are also what made the trip so fun!

What’s the most valuable lesson you learned during your experience this summer?

The most valuable lesson I learned is that I am stronger than I think. There were times when I was so scared or miserable that I just wanted to buy a plane ticket home, but I didn’t. I persevered and enjoyed the experience. In the end, I am a better person for it.

Did you learn anything that you’ll apply this semester to your classes/projects here at Behrend?

One of the biggest things I learned is to not second-guess myself. There were times where I was in surgery and panicking that I would make a mistake or I would be doing an initial examination on a patient with other medical students and second-guess myself. Sometimes I would hesitate if a doctor asked me a question just because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing and look stupid. Eventually I realized that I know more than I think and I should learn to be confident in that. And even if I don’t know the answer or I do have a stupid question, who cares? That’s why it’s called learning.

What are you career plans? What do you want to do?

I plan to go to medical school after college to become an orthopedic surgeon with a focus in sports medicine.

Associate professor of mathematics Dr. Papiya Bhattacharjee’s daily summer lectures have an audience of just one unblinking video camera, but the potential to reach millions of math students.

Bhattacharjee is one of four calculus teachers chosen by regional audition to act as talent in supplemental video content to be distributed by Erie-based Larson Texts. The video series is being produced using equipment provided by Greater Erie Arts Rental (GEAR), a new outreach services of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and with the assistance of Behrend students working as production interns for Larson.

“I think the videos are going to be extremely helpful for any student, but especially the visual learners,” says Bhattacharjee, who spends four hours each morning in the Kochel Center television studio, working aloud while illustrating her commentary in grease marker on a large pane of glass. (The glass will be flipped in post-production to make the pane readable.)

Years of teaching have left Bhattacharjee comfortable speaking in public. It’s the addition of technology that’s the challenge. “I need to remember to always look at the camera while speaking, move away from my writing so it can be seen clearly in the camera, and so on,” she says. “I am trying to have fun. All I have to remember is that the camera is my student, and I am tutoring my student.”

But this is no average student: The camera is an Epic-M Red Dragon Pro, the same model used to film Game of Thrones, The Hobbit, and Avenger: Age of Ultron. This camera is just one piece of equipment in GEAR’s inventory, which includes high-end cameras, lighting kits, and other hardware and software. The equipment is available to professional and student filmmakers and regional artists. GEAR’s equipment inventory, purchased using a $500,000 gift commitment from the Samuel P. Black Family Fund of the Erie Community Foundation, also includes lenses, tripods and stage legs; six-channel sound mixers; shotgun and wireless mics; Fresnal, LED, and HMI lighting systems; and Mac Pro, Adobe and DaVinci Resolve editing and rendering software.

Tim Larson ’87 is a partner in Grant Larson Productions, creator of the calculus video series. He anticipates filming 700 individual videos averaging seven minutes in length by the time the shoot wraps in August. Larson calls GEAR “a wonderful resource. It’s so nice to have this kind of equipment in Erie. On previous shoots we’ve had to rent cameras and equipment from Columbus and Buffalo, so this is an astounding benefit to us.”

An additional GEAR benefit is a ready-made film crew, since a rental discount is available to GEAR clients who hire Penn State Behrend students. “I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to work on this project,” says Erik Brown, a spring Communication graduate and one of six Behrend students and young alumni working for Grant Larson as paid production interns. “The great thing about working here is not only learning about the film industry itself, but also being exposed to high-quality equipment. We’re not using just a couple house lights and DSLR cameras, but industry-standard gear for lighting, sound recording, and cameras. I’ve always wanted to work in the film industry and, now, working on this shoot, I feel like I have a realistic chance of doing that.”

Erik Brown, left, and Josh Lapping, (above) are two of six Behrend students and recent alumni working on the videos for Grant Larson Productions using equipment from the Greater Erie Arts Rental, or GEAR, a new outreach service of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences that provides professional and student filmmakers and regional artists access to high-end cameras, lighting kits, and other hardware and software.

Intern Shelby Dailey, pictured above, a Communication major starting her senior year at the college, appreciates that Grant Larson rotates its student workers. “We’re given the chance to experience all the moving parts of film, such as camera operating, producing, directing, and script supervising. I’ve learned things that textbooks can’t adequately prepare students for, such as (crew) dos and don’ts, set etiquette, and (the importance) of networking.”

“We want to offer an educational experience that is at the same time a close facsimile of what students will experience once they enter the professional environment of producing film and television,” says GEAR coordinator Michael Berlin, whose previous professional experiences include managing crew and equipment for New York City’s Fashion Week and the E! and Pop television networks and production management for ABC World News, CNBC, and ESPN. “The students working on these calculus videos are gaining technical know-how and a type of muscle memory that characterizes this industry, plus they are learning the responsibility that comes with arriving on-set day in and day out. They also are enjoying the benefit of getting paid for their hard work—believe me when I tell you that this type of arrangement is a very rare and very special as a teaching tool that is fair to all parties involved.”

Students in Dr. Glenn Kumhera’s 406W Research in Medieval Sources class used the research work they completed this semester to create a board game, titled Gesta miserororum or “Deeds of the Ill-fated,” to teach players about eleventh-century Europe.

They unveiled the game last night and invited faculty members, friends, and administrators to Reed 114 to play a game or two.

The students not only produced the board and developed the game concept, but they created more than 600 individual cards, too.